Student Research Reports

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Our community, largely dependent on subsistence hunting and fishing, has faced challenges due to recent restrictions on salmon fishing because of declining salmon populations. Consequently, residents have shifted their focus to catching pike, whitefish, and hunting ducks and geese. The gravel pit ponds in Aniak have become crucial for these activities, especially since there are no roads out of town, and some residents lack access to boats for river hunting. During the spring thaw, river ice breaks up and floods these ponds, trapping fish. This situation prompted us to investigate the viability of fish and wildlife survival in these ponds throughout the winter. This study investigates variations in dissolved oxygen levels in gravel pit ponds during the ice using GLOBE Hydrology protocols. Our aim is to understand the ecological sustainability of these habitats through water quality testing. Among the six ponds studied, Pond A and Pond F showed potential for sustaining fish, with dissolved oxygen levels measuring 7 mg/L and 5 mg/L respectively at midway. We plan to continue our monitoring efforts and use the collected data to recommend improvements for enhancing the gravel pit ponds as habitats for fish and wildlife.